S/g 1983

[herbjr]

Originally Posted by Paul Merolla

Competition Plus....not DRC. If a S/G race looked like that today, it might be worth watching. One of the launches even sounded like a MP zinger.

Actually that was Deat Buckner. That was a Econo Modified car in IHRA. Also Lynwood Craft's colt was a hemi and a lenco, it was one of the bodys that was built for Don Carlton before he was killed. And last the car Laboose was driving was built by my dad. It was the 1st of the 12 omni kit cars he built back then. You can see his name on the 1/4 panel. Johnny still runs the car today.

Herb Jr

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

Billy, 21st century mentality will prevent that.Can't hurt sponsors,have too much invested now,whatever.
I wonder how many current super racers could adapt mentally and mechanically to do what Labbous,
Cohen and the rest did in those ancient prehistoric times.

Labbous used to bring 3 cars to a little drag strip in Ala. called Green Valley to bracket race, each family member would move the cars in the staging lanes and he would run from one car to another. One night he had to run himself in the semi's. He won...lol!

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

. Maybe if someone starts another sportsman association and has something like the .90 classes whatever the index might be they will have the forsight to NOT allow any electronics at all. No deep staging, .5 tenths trees in all 3 classes to equal different weight and styles of cars, build the engine and car to run the number to see how many "Jump Ship" and try racing the way it used to be with just a "bolt stop" for the throttle.. Its called DRIVER SKILL not robotics.

Terry,

I understand the reasons for all your suggestions and agree with them, except for your objection to deep staging. All the other suggestions you made make a lot of sense, but can you tell me exactly what it is about deep staging that is objectionable in your viewpoint?

I've heard people complain that they think deep staging takes an inordinate amout of time, and should be disallowed for that reason, but won't the Autostart program eliminate drivers who take too long to stage?

Please explain to me if you think there is something inherently unfair about the process of deep staging, and/or just what there is about that process that you find objectionable in a program like you were describing.

I can't see why it's objectionable. It seems to me that it might give a slower, heavier car a fighting chance against lighter, quicker-moving cars. Is that a bad thing?

Thanks for any information; I am curious....

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Terry,

I understand the reasons for all your suggestions and agree with them, except for your objection to deep staging. All the other suggestions you made make a lot of sense, but can you tell me exactly what it is about deep staging that is objectionable in your viewpoint?

I've heard people complain that they think deep staging takes an inordinate amout of time, and should be disallowed for that reason, but won't the Autostart program eliminate drivers who take too long to stage?

Please explain to me if you think there is something inherently unfair about the process of deep staging, and/or just what there is about that process that you find objectionable in a program like you were describing.

I can't see why it's objectionable. It seems to me that it might give a slower, heavier car a fighting chance against lighter, quicker-moving cars. Is that a bad thing?

Thanks for any information; I am curious....

To many "GAMES" were played at the starting line. It was a drag race just to get staged. I saw it all when I was working at IHRA events and it was down right dangerous to the starting line crew. Why do you think it was banned in the first place several years ago? Besides with a 5 tenths Pro start tree, and thats what we are talking about here, it is not necessary. Notice I said 5 as in FIVE TENTHS Pro start not a 4 tenths tree as used in S/C and S/G today. The TOP STOCK program we started years ago proved that. Those guys were cutting 000 lights and red lighting right from the start. Mike Keener and myself heard all of the whinning and bitching about a 5 tenths Pro start would never work at all or they need deep staging, little front tires, the stick shift cars would kill the automatic cars, and on and on back then and it was proved WRONG. Some wanted a sportsman 5 tenths full count tree. If you can red light with a 3300-3800 lb stocker running low 10 second ETs on 9 inch rear tires, regular sized front tires, and no trans brake on a 5 tenths pro start why have deep staging? What do you want to race.....a 1960 Pontiac 9 passenger station wagon weighing over 4400 lbs ? ANY dedicated .90 car could go red anytime on a 5 tenths Pro tree so there is really no argument or reason for deep staging except for some real low classed slow moving stocker with an automatic trans on a full tree.

[Michael Pliska]

I personally would like to keep the 0.400 & no deep, but that's because I can red light without a problem. Not sure if I'm still as quick, but I used to race a mid-high 11-second street Vega in a heads-up class, and I could red light from shallow stage off a foot brake.

I started bracket racing in 1983, and S/G really appealed to me. I built my S/G car in 1988 when I was 20 years old (for about $9k total investment, much of which was from winning races with the street Vega), and managed to go rounds at a lot of divisional and national events.

Many people say that we would have fewer competitors if we did not have the timers, but that video mentioned having over 100 entries in S/G in 1983!

Regards,

[Ed Fernandez]

From the posts so far it seems the biggest hurdle is current super racers reluctance to take out the electronics.Also what to do with the over kill of a 6000ci BBC.I think T/S-T/D guys would be interested in them.

[Michael Pliska]

I guess that is one of the reasons I wouldn't mind going back, I have minimal electronics (a home-made delay box I built in 1991, don't even have an ignition amplifier). I'm also only running a 481" motor, which will probably be lucky to break 145 mph.

[MEMORIES]

I "grew up" with Johnny Labbous at my local track in the seventies. I remember when he got his first Omni 024. He was a killer driver in brackets and heads-up classes. Here's a couple of photos.

Wayne.

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

I posted this on the Super board, but since you guys was talking deep staging here you go......

Here is a shot of the 1981 Spring Nationals finals of SG, both my father and Kurt Neighbours had Lenco and if you look close Dad already had the top bulb out. We won the event.

[Scotty D]

this is great,how many cars went from modified to super gas.funny joe that you posted that picture because kurt still has that car with a lenco in it and races with the umtr as well as in the video the first set of cars from gainesville was a mustang 2 driven by john hoebel that has a monza with a lenco in it and also races with the umtr.